Welt cutter



July 18, 1950 J. L.. BAusHE-R Erm. 2,515,687

WELT CUTTER I Filed Feb. 2, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TORS 4 d JERfM/AH ff BA1/MER gi E By miam/CK 04m-'L R/f/rf July 18, 1950 J, BAUSHER ETAL 2,515,687

WELT CUTTER Filed Feb. 2, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,4 TTORNEY .This invention relates Patented July 18, 1950 2,515,687 f WELT CUTTER y d Jeremiah Lee Baus'her and Frederick *Daniel Rickert, Reading, Pa., assignors to v Infants' Socks, Inc., Reading, Pa.`, a corporation ofDel- Y aware Application February 2, lllkiseial Noi 5,7797

7 claims, (oies-147) -i generally to the arto knitting and more particularly to the separation of individual selvage welt tops.

`Normally individual selvage Welt rib tops as knitted by the cylinder and dial needles of a rib vknitting machine actingupon an appropriate yarn form a single continuous tubein which` the tops are connected to each other by a removable separating course of knitting; customarily the tops are separated by cutting the said separating course by hand at acertain point on the tube and by pulling the said course out of the tube, usually at a point opposite the cutting point; The cutting and the removing of the separating courses are hand operations which areexpensive and time consuming.

Accordingly it is an object of the present in` vention to reduce the cost and the time of separating tops by providing means whereby one of these operations, namely the cutting of the separating course, is performed automatically on the knitting machine, so that subsequently it is only necessary to pull this course to separate the tops.l It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device which may be readily attached to any rib knitting machine making selvage welt rib tops to cut the separating courses thereof, and which is under control of the selvage welt itself. With this type of device no machine setting or control is required as the operation thereof is controlled automatically by each selvage welt as it comes into contact with the device. Accordingly when the machine is changed to knit dixerent length tops, there is no adjustment needed for the device since the latter is operated solely by the presence of a selvage welt'and will- Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2---2Y of Figure 1, i Figure 3 is a view in perspective showing the separating yarn cutting device in detail,

Figure .4 is an enlarged view showing the end of the cutter in contact with the moving fabric, Figure is an enlarged view similar to Figure 4 but showing the vhookf'shaped member ofthe cutterIk caught in the 2 moving fabric, tilting the cutter and about to out the separating course. "Figure 6 is a partial view of the fabric showing thecut portion thereof, and

"Figure '7 is an enlarged detail view showing the ends of'thev cutting members.

' The -'Figure 1v shows a portion only of a conventional circular rib knitting machine sufficient to`illustrat'e the use of the separating course cutting device on Athe tube of selvage Welt tops made by the machine. The side frames of the machine are shown at l0 and Il extending between the top plate I2 and the bottom plate I3. Upon the plate I2 is the usual needle and dial cylinders anda cam ring I4, while supporting the machine are the usual legs I5 secured to the plate I3. Located between the side frames are the usual takeV up rollers IIL/T6 which in turning in the usual manner exert tension upon the fabric tube I1 passing therethrough vas the latter is knitted by the cylinder and dial needles. These parts havenot been shown in complete detail as they are well known in the art and operate in the usual manner.

The fabric tube I'I Vis made up ofindividual selvage welt tops I8 with the special stitch formations IS between the same. In each of the special stitch formations I8 there is a small roll of ravelled fabric 2ll-caused by the casting off of all the cylinder needle loops. There are the several courses of relatively enlarged dial knit stitches 2l which form openwork and cooperate with the cutting attachment as will be explained. Then there is the selvage welt 22 connected to the last course 23 of the enlarged stitches 2| and forming the beginning edge portion of a top. The said last course 23 is the separating course and when this is cut at a certain point and pulled out of the fabric, the two adjoining tops are separated with a selvage edge. on one of them. It is theobject of this invention to provide mechanical means for cutting the said separating courses automatically at the proper point under control of theselVage Welt stitch structures.

Af' tube spreader 24 of any suitable material such as vWood or the like is inserted in the fabric tube l1 and remains within the same just above the' rotating takel up rollers I6, I6 as the latter cause the fabric to be moved under tension through the same and past the fabric spreader. One face of the spreader is undercut as at 25 for apurpose to be described.

The cutting attachment is shown in Figure 3 havingthe base member 26 at one end of which arethev holes 2T, 21' through which suitable'bolts justably secured on the reduced member 30 lby means of the set screw 32, the end of the cup forming a base upon which the arm 33 is pivoted about the screw 34. The forward end of the arm 33 is enlarged as at 35 and hasa channel 36,cut

therein, the channel being covered byaplate31 suitably held in place. Within the channel 36 at the bottom thereof is the xedcutting blade 38 having the notched cutting edges 39. Also within the channel 36 and upon the flxedblade 38 is the moving cutting blade 4U having the hook-.shaped outer end 4I, the outer peripheral surface of `which is rounded as at 42 while the inner peripheral surface` is formed into the hooked shaped cutting edges 43. A suitable spring 44 is fastened to the plate 31 at thegforward'end thereof and toa stud 45 projecting outwardly from the opposite end of the movable blade 4U to keep the cutter in opened position. Pivotally secured tothe stud 45 at oneend thereofis the connecting member 46, the other end of which is `connected to the `plunger 41 of the solenoid 48 mounted in the bracket 49 on the other offset end 50 of the arm 33. A suitable contact switch l, operated lby the bracket 49 when the latter is in the dotted line position of Figure 2, is positioned upon one of the adjustable L-shaped brackets 52 while the other L-shaped bracket is suitably adjustably mounted upon the other end of theV base member 26 by means of the elongated opening 53 therein and the bolt 54 and nut (not shown) passing therethrough. A wire 55 from the switch 5l and a wire 56 from the solenoid 48 lead to anysuitable source of electric power, the solenoid and switch being in series and connected with the wire 51. The weight of the component parts is such that the portion ofthe arm 33 to the right of the pivot point 34 viewing Figure 2 is heavier than the portionof the arm 33 and the parts thereon to the left of the pivot point. This would tend to rotate the arm 33 clockwise, Figure 3, and this is prevented by the stop stud 56 projecting outwardly from the member 3l. The operation of the device will now be described.

The cutting attachment is set upon the machine so that the outer smooth surface 42 of the cutting member 4I is in contact with the moving fabric tube and presses against the same. It will be remembered that the spring 44 holds the cutting blade in opened position and the spring is strong enough to cause the member.v to press against the tube l1, as appears in Figure 4, as the latter moves downwardly. The contact between the tube I1 and the member` 4| is in the channel opening 25 of the spreader 24 which positions and holds the tube at this point. As the tube moves downwardly it slides past` the smooth surface 42 of the cutting blade 411Y withoutl rotating the arm 33, which is so counter weighted as to remainin the full line positiontherein with.701i@ .1901159.11 .the shok-F Shape-rut;

4 ting edges 43. Further movement of the tube I1 under control of the take up rollers causes the entire arm 33 to be moved counter clockwise, Figure 2, to the dotted line position against the counterweight where the bracket 49 closes the switch 5I to actuate the solenoid. This causes the rod 41 to actuate .thefcuttersy as |appears in Figure 5,.to cut several of'the openwork courses including the separating course 23. The result- .ing hole in the fabric is shown in Figure 6. It immaterial that several courses are cut so 'long as the separating course is among them.

The attachment is-positioned so that the separating course is cut at the proper point to be pulled out from the opposite side of the tube. The hook member 4l will not enter the tube l1 except at the openwork areas 2| as at other points the fabric isI too dense and compact.

f As the cutter operates in the dotted line position, Figure 2, the hook 4I is withdrawn from within. the .tube andafterfthe cutting is-,done, the counterweighted'arm l33 movesback to. the full line position of;Figure 1 where it' isready to enter the fabricv when the: next openworkarea passes the same. vThe cutting action kabove described will then berepeated. AThe lengthzot the cutting-blades4 are-'adjustedso that afterthe hook enters the openwork and the cutter Vis actuated, the selvageuwelt is not cut. 11.'.

. It will be obvious thatthe invention provide means for automatically .cutting the separating yarn course of selvage welt tops connected together and that the operation of the device is controlled by the selvage welt stitch structure itself thereby making it independent of the length of the tops or of any controlby the ma'- chine. i

We claim: 1. In a circular rib knitting machine of the ty producing a continuous knitted tube lof selvage welt tops connected by separating yarn courses in which the 'tube moves under tension fromth'e needles to the take up rolls, a cutting'attachment in contact with said moving tube having electrically operatedcutting members, one of said mem'- bers being adapted to pass-through and be caught bythe openwork in the tub'e preceding-the selvage welts, said attachment thereafter being operated under control ofvv further movement of the tube to cut said separating threads.

. 2. In a circular rib knitting machine of thetype producingharcontinuous knittedtube of 'selvage welt tops connected byseparating yarn courses'in which the Vtube moves under-"tension from the needles to the take up rolls; an attachment pivotally mounted upon theiside frame of the machine having electrically' operated cutters'pres's'- ing against said moving tube, said Icutters havingv one member thereof hook shaped vwith the outer peripheral surface rounded andthe "inner peripheral surface formed'into a cutting edge, said hook shaped'member being adaptedv to pass through and be caught by the yopenwork in the tube vpreceding the selvage welts, said attachment fth'ereafter being turnedby further movement of the l tube to 'operate threads. l

3; In a circular? rib knitting' machine having means to produce a continuous tube of individual selvage welt topsv connected by 'separating yarn courses in which" the tube moves' undertensio from the needles to the take-'up',`a cutting attachment adapted to bep'ositioned on thev machine adjacent the-tensione'd tube at a point below A'the needle; cylinder; saidsattachment havingfaicut 'and' out said separating ting member pressing against the outer surface of the moving tube and adapted to pass inwardly through and engage the openwork stitches preceding each of the selvage welts preparatory to severing the separating courses between successive tops.

4. In a circular rib knitting machine having means to produce a continuous tube of individual selvage Welt tops connected by separating yarn courses in which the tube moves under tension from the needles to the take-up, a cutting attachment adapted to be positioned on the machine adjacent the tensioned tube, said attachment having a member pressing against the outer surface of the moving tube and adapted to pass inwardly through and engage the openwork stitches preceding each of the selvage welts, and means to withdraw said member from the tube to cut stitches engaged thereby to sever the separating courses between successive tops.

, 5. A cutting attachment as set forth in claim 4 in which the means to withdraw said member from the tube is under control of the moving tube itself.

6. In a circular rib knitting machine having means to produce a continuous tube of individual selvage welt tops connected by separating yarn courses in which the tube moves under tension from the needles to the take-up, a cutting attachmen-t adapted to be positioned on the machine adjacent the tensioned tube, said attachment having a pair of cutters in normally opened position in which one of said cutters is pressed against the outer surface of the moving tube and is adapted to pass inwardly through and engage with the open-work stitches preceding each of the selvage welts, and means to withdraw said cutter from the tube to close said pair of cutters thereby cutting stitches engaged therebetween to sever the separating courses between successive tops. '7. A cutting attachment as set forth in claim 6 in which the means to withdraw said cutter is made operable by the moving tube itself.

J EREMIAI-I LEE BAUSHER. FREDERICK DANIEL RICKERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,285,096 Fisher Nov. 19, 1918 2,411,259 Gilbreath NOV. 19, 1946 2,437,735 Getaz Mar. 16, 1948 2,447,103 Susen Aug. 17, 1948 

